The world has gone so soft: AFL to no longer reveal player weights, declares it inappropriate

[Axe Man]

I hear BAD is planning to storm AFL House.

"THE WORLD HAS GONE SO SOFT": AFL TO NO LONGER REVEAL PLAYER WEIGHTS, DECLARES IT INAPPROPRIATE (https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/01/12/the-world-has-gone-so-soft-afl-to-no-longer-reveal-player-weights-declares/)

The AFL has deemed revealing player weights as inappropriate, meaning for the first time in its history, the AFL Season Guide has been printed without the information.

Kane Cornes revealed the development on Friday, slamming the call and saying a player?s body is their job and therefore the information is of public interest.

?Remember in 2021 the AFL banned perspective draftees from getting their skinfolds done at the draft combine for mental health reasons and treading carefully with the younger generation,? Cornes told SEN Afternoons.

?That was scrapped much to the disgust of many club recruiters.

?I can reveal to you this afternoon that the AFL Season Guide is out ? the AFL has stopped including player weight.

?Can you believe it? I was alerted to this yesterday ? if you get your book and you want to look up what Jordan De Goey weighs, you will no longer be able to find it.

?The world has gone so soft. I can?t believe it.

?You?re a professional athlete. You?re not an influencer on social media. Any other sport I can look that up. I can tell you Travis Kelce was 113kg. His quarterback Patrick Mahomes weighs 102kg.

?No longer in my role as a commentator can I say Jake Lever is playing on Charlie Curnow, Curnow has an 8kg advantage ? he should take him deep to the goal square.

?I can?t do that anymore because the AFL have said that we are that soft that we can?t include player weights in the Season Guide. I don?t know where this is going to lead to.

?Are they going to ban us from knowing that Caleb Daniel is 168cm? He could easily be offended by being one of the shortest players in the game.?

Editor of the AFL Record and the AFL Season Guide Ash Browne confirmed the change was a league directive.

?Yeah it?s true. It?s a new AFL policy to not reveal player weights ? I?m just a messenger here, by the way. This was an AFL decision,? Browne said.

?They?ve decided in this day and age it is inappropriate for weights to public matter, in a publication like the Season Guide.

?They would say that people support that it?s not appropriate to publish weights and that it?s private information now.?

After hearing Browne's confirmation, Cornes added: ?They?re not accountants, they?re not nurses, they?re not lawyers ? they?re professional athletes where your body is your job for goodness sake.?

[bornadog]

I am on the way to AFL House now :D

What the hell is wrong with the world. The babies are taking over. Bring back Gil

[mjp]

This has been a AFLPA issue for a while.

[hujsh]

This has been a AFLPA issue for a while.

Do you know what their (AFLPA) reasoning is? It's easy to go all Kane and reflexively declare it being soft or whatever but I'd be surprised if there isn't some valid reason to stop publishing that information.

[jDogs]

So it's just in the guide for the public? Not a massive deal for me. But I'm just learning about the skin folds ban for draft combine players... now THAT seems nuts.

[mjp]

Do you know what their (AFLPA) reasoning is? It's easy to go all Kane and reflexively declare it being soft or whatever but I'd be surprised if there isn't some valid reason to stop publishing that information.

How do I say this without saying it?

There has been some pretty bad stuff on socials about some AFL players who aren't full-time athletes and are impacted by the same policies.

[azabob]

How do I say this without saying it?

There has been some pretty bad stuff on socials about some AFL players who aren't full-time athletes and are impacted by the same policies.

Tom Boyd also experienced some pretty bad stuff in club land in under age footy, at the Giants and the Dogs... the footy club is supposed to be a safe place.

[Axe Man]

How do I say this without saying it?

There has been some pretty bad stuff on socials about some AFL players who aren't full-time athletes and are impacted by the same policies.

I totally get it for AFLW and I wouldn't have thought their weights would ever have been disclosed.

For the AFL it seems over the top.

[mjp]

I totally get it for AFLW and I wouldn't have thought their weights would ever have been disclosed.

For the AFL it seems over the top.

Good for the goose = good for the gander. ONE CBA.

[Grantysghost]

I'm with Kane, can't believe I'm saying that. These are professional athletes ffs. If it's about the women then say that (afl) , we are mature enough to deal with it... crikey it's really amateur hour.

What will it stop anyway, arse holes have eyes.

[mjp]

If it's about the women then say that.

You can't. Because that will unleash a new broadside aimed at the girls.

Why do we care anyway? Maybe Kane should create a 'who can squat what weight' database and that way he could say:

"Charlie Curnow can squat 9% more than Jake Lever...he should take him to the goal-square"...

OR, probably with more relevance he could say "Based on my 300-games of experience, I would really encourage Michael Voss to send Charlie Curnow to the goal-square. Why would he play Lever in space? He's got a clear size advantage...".

This is really not that big a deal is it?

[bornadog]

This is really not that big a deal is it?

Not at all.

[MrMahatma]

Can't recall ever looking up a player's weight, or ever wondering what a player weighs... or thinking about it at all.

Height... well, that's a different story!

[Grantysghost]

You can't. Because that will unleash a new broadside aimed at the girls.

Why do we care anyway? Maybe Kane should create a 'who can squat what weight' database and that way he could say:

"Charlie Curnow can squat 9% more than Jake Lever...he should take him to the goal-square"...

OR, probably with more relevance he could say "Based on my 300-games of experience, I would really encourage Michael Voss to send Charlie Curnow to the goal-square. Why would he play Lever in space? He's got a clear size advantage...".

This is really not that big a deal is it?

Im a bit of a stats nuffy so I like all the info. Is a big deal? Not really, however if we are doing it to protect the women from a few internet trolls it's a ridiculous precedent imo.
Haters are going to hate. They don't need the stats to do that, they'll use photos or their eyes.

It's more about being seen to do the right thing than actually caring about fixing the root cause which is a bigger more difficult conversation.

Can we talk about height? Caleb is probably sick of being reminded every two seconds he's short.

[mighty_west]

As a supporter i couldn't care less, we can all see the majority of draftees need to put size on, whilst a few may need to lose some puppy fat, but to me that's all for the fitness staff and club to sort out, we can see Darcy put on size from the past two seasons, do we really need the numbers to tell us?

Height is probably a little different but even still, that can be overrated greatly too, just because player A is 198cm, doesn't make him necessarily better than player B at 194cm.

[MrMahatma]

Do trolls really say "She weighs xkg, therefore she's fat"? I mean, anyone with eyes can tell there are a number of AFLW (and AFL at times) players carrying a bit of extra baggage. I'm not sure keeping their weights a secret is gonna change anything.

[Hotdog60]

Come on don't bring Jake into this.

[GVGjr]

Do trolls really say "She weighs xkg, therefore she's fat"? I mean, anyone with eyes can tell there are a number of AFLW (and AFL at times) players carrying a bit of extra baggage. I'm not sure keeping their weights a secret is gonna change anything.

Based on some experiences here and on other social sites the actual weight for players means very little but a couple of years back during the covid impacted seasons a lot of comments were being made on which players were in peppermint patty conditions.
It was certainly more a scanned by the eyes type assessment than people saying a player as 85kg and he should try and get down to 80.
I rarely read things like that.

Ironically at a function I talked to Weightman :) about that the skin-fold test was stopped and he laughed that it had been stopped but seemed to think some players were happy about it. He said the club can still catch out players who don't come back in good condition so it was no big deal.

Not having the players weight as available information on footy records etc for supporters is not much of an issue.

[D Mitchell]

T...safe place.

I'm sure many others will join me in hating this sort of nonsense.l Full body contact sport without pads ? These blokes are footballers. They've been playing in schools and footy clubs for years. Tom Boyd is right up there with Sutton, Whitten because he turned it on when it counted. This rubbish diminishes Tom.

[chef]

Am i the only one who doesnt care or need to know how much a footballer weighs?

[GVGjr]

Am i the only one who doesnt care or need to know how much a footballer weighs?

I think you are well within the majority Chef.

[Grantysghost]

Am i the only one who doesnt care or need to know how much a footballer weighs?

Hey hey we are drumming up off season talking points here get off the fence!

[The Adelaide Connection]

You can't. Because that will unleash a new broadside aimed at the girls.

Why do we care anyway? Maybe Kane should create a 'who can squat what weight' database and that way he could say:

"Charlie Curnow can squat 9% more than Jake Lever...he should take him to the goal-square"...

OR, probably with more relevance he could say "Based on my 300-games of experience, I would really encourage Michael Voss to send Charlie Curnow to the goal-square. Why would he play Lever in space? He's got a clear size advantage...".

This is really not that big a deal is it?

Great take. Time to move forward and in ten years time we will look back and wonder why anyone cared.

[macca]

I just think its funny every preseason to hear about Stringers body condition . Its a shame its one less parameter to pickout.

[Twodogs]

If this is to stop social media trolls then I can see this being counter productive. Trolls don't need facts in order to push their views and prejudices, in fact the lack of accurate figures plays to their advantage because now they can speculate and their speculation becomes fact in their eyes.

[Grantysghost]

Do trolls really say "She weighs xkg, therefore she's fat"? I mean, anyone with eyes can tell there are a number of AFLW (and AFL at times) players carrying a bit of extra baggage. I'm not sure keeping their weights a secret is gonna change anything.
Yes but now the AFL can say, we didn't do anything to add to it.
Optics, not solutions.

[jeemak]

Being sat in front of a VSFL U/18 coach and assistant coach (both ex-VFL players) and told as a sixteen year old that I was being cut solely due to skin folds at the last cut after practice matches (one of which I got BOG by a mile) didn't have a great impact on my self esteem.

I had come off a broken arm and dislocated shoulder and could just start pre-Christmas training in time. I came back well too heavy, got a fair chunk of the weight off but didn't have the discipline to keep it going that way and went back out over the Christmas/ NY break, unfortunately.

Not putting kids through skin folds is a good move. Not naming player weights is fine by me.

[Grantysghost]

Being sat in front of a VSFL U/18 coach and assistant coach (both ex-VFL players) and told as a sixteen year old that I was being cut solely due to skin folds at the last cut after practice matches (one of which I got BOG by a mile) didn't have a great impact on my self esteem.

I had come off a broken arm and dislocated shoulder and could just start pre-Christmas training in time. I came back well too heavy, got a fair chunk of the weight off but didn't have the discipline to keep it going that way and went back out over the Christmas/ NY break, unfortunately.

Not putting kids through skin folds is a good move. Not naming player weights is fine by me.

That's shizen Jee what a bunch of knob heads. We are all genetically different, height, weight, hair; who cares!
I'm not in any way bothered by not disclosing weight, more how they come to a decision that almost insinuates weight shouldn't be spoken about because it's somehow a bad thing.

[GVGjr]

Being sat in front of a VSFL U/18 coach and assistant coach (both ex-VFL players) and told as a sixteen year old that I was being cut solely due to skin folds at the last cut after practice matches (one of which I got BOG by a mile) didn't have a great impact on my self esteem.

I had come off a broken arm and dislocated shoulder and could just start pre-Christmas training in time. I came back well too heavy, got a fair chunk of the weight off but didn't have the discipline to keep it going that way and went back out over the Christmas/ NY break, unfortunately.

Not putting kids through skin folds is a good move. Not naming player weights is fine by me.

You would hope coaches would be a lot better than that. Sounds more like a convenient excuse to explain why they were cutting you.
Most people are more sensitive now to the impacts for what is said. Gotta say I feel a bit sorry for the 16yo Jee to be subjected to something like that.

[jeemak]

You would hope coaches would be a lot better than that. Sounds more like a convenient excuse to explain why they were cutting you.
Most people are more sensitive now to the impacts for what is said. Gotta say I feel a bit sorry for the 16yo Jee to be subjected to something like that.

I've often thought of that and also considered that these guys thought they were helping me....which in a way I think they were (direct feedback hurts, but at least it's direct). At that point they were halving the numbers, I was bottom age and didn't have a father breathing down their necks or a family member who was in football administration at the local level........like some others did.

But also, at that time in that competition it was pretty brutal on the back of your Ray Jordan's etc. ruling the roost not long before. And the coach in particular was a very weird black and white authoritarian guy.

Not looking for sympathy, it's all good now. I've got heaps of insecurities that starve that particular one of oxygen now I'm all grown up. :D

[GVGjr]

I've often thought of that and also considered that these guys thought they were helping me....which in a way I think they were (direct feedback hurts, but at least it's direct). At that point they were halving the numbers, I was bottom age and didn't have a father breathing down their necks or a family member who was in football administration at the local level........like some others did.

But also, at that time in that competition it was pretty brutal on the back of your Ray Jordan's etc. ruling the roost not long before. And the coach in particular was a very weird black and white authoritarian guy.

Not looking for sympathy, it's all good now. I've got heaps of insecurities that starve that particular one of oxygen now I'm all grown up. :D

If you had played a bad game and carrying a few extra pounds was a contributing reason then perhaps direct feedback is what is needed but it should not have been done in front of the group.
If getting cut after playing a good game then feedback delivered like that isn't the real reason I bet it was to make room for the son of a mate.

[bornadog]

Players are well oiled machines these days and weight doesn't come into it (unless you are Stringer:D )

Fulltime professional athletes, and they know what they have to do.

[jeemak]

The way it worked then was you got a letter in the mail, and an opportunity to get feedback a a little later. The feedback was just me in front of the coach and assistant.

[FrediKanoute]

How do I say this without saying it?

There has been some pretty bad stuff on socials about some AFL players who aren't full-time athletes and are impacted by the same policies.

I don't get it? I get it now

[EasternWest]

I've always believed that one of the things driving elite athletes, marathon runners, endurance athletes, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (is joke mate I think you know that) and bodybuilders etc is actually a crippling anxiety that they try to outwork. Just some amateur psychology from a guy that suffered crippling anxiety in his 20's.

So the idea that they're not subjected to the minutiae of their physical conditioning in the sphere of social media and public scrutiny I'm actually fine with.

Don't get me wrong, I think eye based observations are fine - like if Jake Stringer has obviously eaten too much package then I think it's fair to comment as there's a reasonable expectation that an elite athlete be at least on good shape.

But if we're talking about a tiny fat roll on Jack Macrae as he's sitting forward then that's total crap.

[The Underdog]

I?d struggle to find an issue I give less of a **** about. Football discourse driven by SEN / Hutchy is largely stupid clickbait trash and Kane Cornes is a deliberate driver of that. Stephen A Smith wannabe without the smarts.

[D Mitchell]

Does anyone else recall that fat bloke, a leading goal scorer in the SANFL, that one of the SA clubs had playing at full forward, it would have been in the '80s, when Ch 7 ran a series involving individual clubs from WA, SA, Vic and Tas playing against each other ? How would Arjuna Ranatunga have gone if Cricket in the '80s applied the fold test ? As long as it's a joke, but if serious, who cares ?

[Dry Rot]

I have heard that Caleb Daniel is requesting that player height information be removed for season 2025.

[GVGjr]

Does anyone else recall that fat bloke, a leading goal scorer in the SANFL, that one of the SA clubs had playing at full forward, it would have been in the '80s, when Ch 7 ran a series involving individual clubs from WA, SA, Vic and Tas playing against each other ? How would Arjuna Ranatunga have gone if Cricket in the '80s applied the fold test ? As long as it's a joke, but if serious, who cares ?

Grenville Dietrich?

[Bulldog Joe]

The published body weights have often been misleading anyway.

With boxers they weigh them on the day (or day before) of competition so the weight is relevant for that match up.

Footballers weight were simply implying that that player had been that weight at a test in the past.

Plenty of players would front up on match day with a fair variation of that published weight.

[The Underdog]

The published body weights have often been misleading anyway.

With boxers they weigh them on the day (or day before) of competition so the weight is relevant for that match up.

Footballers weight were simply implying that that player had been that weight at a test in the past.

Plenty of players would front up on match day with a fair variation of that published weight.

Hence my listed weight of 80 kg (from 1991)

[Grantysghost]

Hence my listed weight of 80 kg (from 1991)
Same +/- 20 kgs.

[D Mitchell]

Grenville Dietrich?

Yep, that was him. It could have been local footy.

[bornadog]

How would Mick Nolan go these days

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmgwpmACUAA3-Ja.jpg

[D Mitchell]

Michael Francis didn't do a lot around the ground but was a man mountain at ball ups and centre bounces whose taps fed Barry Cable, practically unbeatable. Even if Barry Cable was in the line up, Bev wouldn't play him.

[jeemak]

How would Mick Nolan go these days

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmgwpmACUAA3-Ja.jpg

He'd probably be a midfield bull! In his draft year at least.......

[azabob]

I'm sure many others will join me in hating this sort of nonsense.l Full body contact sport without pads ? These blokes are footballers. They've been playing in schools and footy clubs for years. Tom Boyd is right up there with Sutton, Whitten because he turned it on when it counted. This rubbish diminishes Tom.

D Mitchell not sure what you are on about. Can you elaborate what you mean by nonsense? What are you hating exactly?

[chef]

I'm sure many others will join me in hating this sort of nonsense.l Full body contact sport without pads ? These blokes are footballers. They've been playing in schools and footy clubs for years. Tom Boyd is right up there with Sutton, Whitten because he turned it on when it counted. This rubbish diminishes Tom.

Its also just a workplace now and these guys are just doing a job. Its not like what it used to be.

[D Mitchell]

D Mitchell not sure what you are on about. Can you elaborate what you mean by nonsense? What are you hating exactly?

Ban on publishing weight as "inappropriate" on mental health grounds, (I accept Cornes' version of the ground for the decision). Height and weight are the first published stats on players and have been forever. This faux sensitivity trivialises genuine mental health conditions, thus my reference to Tom Boyd.

[Grantysghost]

Ban on publishing weight as "inappropriate" on mental health grounds, (I accept Cornes' version of the ground for the decision). Height and weight are the first published stats on players and have been forever. This faux sensitivity trivialises genuine mental health conditions, thus my reference to Tom Boyd.

It's seriously insane. For the men. I get it for the women.

Remember we have many differences between the two games.

One is full time for starters, then player numbers, ball size et al.

I see no issue with not publishing weights for the AFLW.

Men though, crikey they're athletes it's just a standard stat.

Imagine boxing... And in the red corner, weighing in at *STOP*...! *hushed tones, impromptu ringside conference*....

Ahem, let me try that again.

In the red corner, weighing in at "a very appropriate weight for their height and not at all outside of their normal BMI" it's BUTTERBEAN!

https://i.postimg.cc/L6fQZFSS/OIG-WW59-YFDx-El-Fgfj-w-LT2n.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YhrzJVjD)

[Happy Days]

This is actually a positive for body shaming. Used to be so annoying calling a player fat only to get no support from a clearly incorrect player weight listing (Sean Darcy at 110kg looking at you).

Now speculation for real haters can be absolutely baseless. Kane isn’t seeing the big picture here.

[Grantysghost]

This is actually a positive for body shaming. Used to be so annoying calling a player fat only to get no support from a clearly incorrect player weight listing (Sean Darcy at 110kg looking at you).

Now speculation for real haters can be absolutely baseless. Kane isn’t seeing the big picture here.

Sean Darcy is at least 125.

[azabob]

Ban on publishing weight as "inappropriate" on mental health grounds, (I accept Cornes' version of the ground for the decision). Height and weight are the first published stats on players and have been forever. This faux sensitivity trivialises genuine mental health conditions, thus my reference to Tom Boyd.

Did you read Tom Boyd's book and section about his struggles from under age footy, from his time at the giants and the bulldogs? How he was judged on his skin folds and his weight and not what he was doing on the football field? How he would go without eating meals to make sure he weighed in at the correct weight or was at the right skin fold. How his training suffered and how it impacted him mentally.

[Grantysghost]

Did you read Tom Boyd's book and section about his struggles from under age footy, from his time at the giants and the bulldogs? How he was judged on his skin folds and his weight and not what he was doing on the football field? How he would go without eating meals to make sure he weighed in at the correct weight or was at the right skin fold. How his training suffered and how it impacted him mentally.

What's that got to do with elite athletes? That's a massive failure of his junior clubs and complete rubbish from them. Once in an elite program where you are taught how to eat etc, this shouldn't be keeping anyone awake at night.

Unless you're on meth and lsd and it's one of your hallucinations.

[hujsh]

What's that got to do with elite athletes? That's a massive failure of his junior clubs and complete rubbish from them. Once in an elite program where you are taught how to eat etc, this shouldn't be keeping anyone awake at night.

Unless you're on meth and lsd and it's one of your hallucinations.

GG, this is kinda why I called you a Boomer once or twice (and before you do it, know that correcting me to say you're actually Gen X is maybe the most Boomer thing possible).

There's nothing here to really get upset over to decry as insane. I doesn't really matter to us what the 'published' weights are of the men and it seems to me that including both groups in the decision has shielded the women from some of the backlash with it instead being pointed more to the AFL admin/men. So for once the AFL have kinda done their job maybe?

Using Tom Boyd as a way to diminish a policy meant to help with mental health issues also reeks of 'MLK would support my cuts to welfare'. Aza's example from Tom's book is illustrative of the way that a focus on arbitrary targets around weight, skinfolds etc detract from actual important metrics around performance. Weight is not a substitute for strength so who cares about it? The only reason to care is if you have a reactionary aversion to removing it emotionally. Until the AFL brings in weightclasses we'd be better off learning their PBs in the gym over summer.

I also doubt the AFL hates that they've given Cornes something to whine about over summer.


I'm with HD, without published weights that are obviously wrong we can now make our own conclusions about who's fat/lazy. Did anyone here really bother to check Stringer's listed weight when he took off his top to reveal the abstract art piece on his chest?

[Sedat]

I also doubt the AFL hates that they've given Cornes something to whine about over summer.
CoNtEnT

[azabob]

What's that got to do with elite athletes? That's a massive failure of his junior clubs and complete rubbish from them. Once in an elite program where you are taught how to eat etc, this shouldn't be keeping anyone awake at night.

Unless you're on meth and lsd and it's one of your hallucinations.

GG, his experience was exactly the same at the Giants and Bulldogs.

[ReLoad]

Sorry who has eaten all the pies again?

[Grantysghost]

GG, his experience was exactly the same at the Giants and Bulldogs.

He wasn't prepared for elite sports I'd suggest.

What! I have to be fit to play sports and get paid ;)

It's tough, what do you do, change the system for the minority (don't do fitness testing/weight testing) or educate that this is part of the gig.

There are many parts of my job where I am exposed to criticism, and it's tough, however you work on resilience,step away from a victim mentality, and move to a place where you embrace life and it's struggles.

With Tom it sounds more like he wasn't really mentally prepared and was living in a false reality where he could just turn up and be the best. We need to be better with kids like him in their preparation so they aren't lost to the game.

[hujsh]

He wasn't prepared for elite sports I'd suggest.

What! I have to be fit to play sports and get paid ;)

It's tough, what do you do, change the system for the minority (don't do fitness testing/weight testing) or educate that this is part of the gig.

There are many parts of my job where I am exposed to criticism, and it's tough, however you work on resilience,step away from a victim mentality, and move to a place where you embrace life and it's struggles.

With Tom it sounds more like he wasn't really mentally prepared and was living in a false reality where he could just turn up and be the best. We need to be better with kids like him in their preparation so they aren't lost to the game.

...he was missing meals to meet arbitrary goals that didn't match his body type or maximize his performance. Meeting those goals made his performances worse. It's not even fitness or strength that's being tested it's weight and skin folds.

Did you read Aza's post or just kinda skim it? I do that sometimes so maybe you're missing the important parts.

[D Mitchell]

Did you read Tom Boyd's book and section about his struggles from under age footy, from his time at the giants and the bulldogs? How he was judged on his skin folds and his weight and not what he was doing on the football field? How he would go without eating meals to make sure he weighed in at the correct weight or was at the right skin fold. How his training suffered and how it impacted him mentally.

I haven't read Tom's book. I'll take your summary about his personal issues with what he, along with the rest of his team mates and just about every other professional athlete, goes through, as accurate. I'll also take it that his symptoms and causes went far beyond the weight issue, the factors that make up a mental health issue severe enough to cause Tom to retire at the height of his very considerable powers is never that simple. He and they went through the weight regime whether or not their weight and/or height was published from time to time. That's my point, equating publication of the weight of a professional athlete as "inappropriate" on grounds of mental health trivialises Tom's position.

[Bulldog4life]

I've often thought of that and also considered that these guys thought they were helping me....which in a way I think they were (direct feedback hurts, but at least it's direct). At that point they were halving the numbers, I was bottom age and didn't have a father breathing down their necks or a family member who was in football administration at the local level........like some others did.

But also, at that time in that competition it was pretty brutal on the back of your Ray Jordan's etc. ruling the roost not long before. And the coach in particular was a very weird black and white authoritarian guy.

Not looking for sympathy, it's all good now. I've got heaps of insecurities that starve that particular one of oxygen now I'm all grown up. :D

Good on ya Jee. Thanks for sharing your story.

[D Mitchell]

Just catching up on a number of posts whilst I was composing my previous, let me add that people with severe mental health issues have it tough. What is nothing/not worth worrying about to the rest of us can be earth shattering to them. Blaming Tom's reactions to part of his training regime, where such is not especially different from that of others, for his condition trivialises it.

[Grantysghost]

GG, this is kinda why I called you a Boomer once or twice (and before you do it, know that correcting me to say you're actually Gen X is maybe the most Boomer thing possible).

There's nothing here to really get upset over to decry as insane. I doesn't really matter to us what the 'published' weights are of the men and it seems to me that including both groups in the decision has shielded the women from some of the backlash with it instead being pointed more to the AFL admin/men. So for once the AFL have kinda done their job maybe?

Using Tom Boyd as a way to diminish a policy meant to help with mental health issues also reeks of 'MLK would support my cuts to welfare'. Aza's example from Tom's book is illustrative of the way that a focus on arbitrary targets around weight, skinfolds etc detract from actual important metrics around performance. Weight is not a substitute for strength so who cares about it? The only reason to care is if you have a reactionary aversion to removing it emotionally. Until the AFL brings in weightclasses we'd be better off learning their PBs in the gym over summer.

I also doubt the AFL hates that they've given Cornes something to whine about over summer.


I'm with HD, without published weights that are obviously wrong we can now make our own conclusions about who's fat/lazy. Did anyone here really bother to check Stringer's listed weight when he took off his top to reveal the abstract art piece on his chest?

Well, see, as soon as you've labelled me you've lost your ability to think critically so I stop reading.

I've heard Tom say he was coddled and not prepared.

Plus, why are we using completely irrelevant comparisons.

We are talking about listing weights, not someone struggling with skin folds.

If Tom was listed at 95 how on earth does that tell me anything about his skin folds?

I'm not into fitness, so I'm not able to speak to the viability or not of skin folds as a measure. Again I'll reiterate the point I made about we need to prepare kids like that for the rigours of elite sports and what to expect better.

I'd say it was his peers that he was most worried about in terms of his body shame (if that's what it was) and they'd all know his weight anyway.

You're amazingly using a pejorative term against someone to support your argument about not using supposedly shameful measures! Legendary work.

P. S. I'm not a boomer. They are way older than me like 10-15 years. Also great people.

Love your posts keep up the good work.

[Grantysghost]

...he was missing meals to meet arbitrary goals that didn't match his body type or maximize his performance. Meeting those goals made his performances worse. It's not even fitness or strength that's being tested it's weight and skin folds.

Did you read Aza's post or just kinda skim it? I do that sometimes so maybe you're missing the important parts.

Sounds like skin folds are the wrong measure for him but I have nfi so won't pretend to know.
Haven't they ceased to be used?

Actually Marra mentioned body fat test to me, maybe it's the same but more advanced. Someone with knowledge may know. MJP?

[bornadog]

The only time I look up weights is when the new draftees start to see what muscle they need to add to get to a decent playing weight.

[hujsh]

P. S. I'm not a boomer. They are way older than me like 10-15 years. Also great people.



He did it anyway SMH. GG we're all Boomers to someone. If someone calls you a Boomer it's because you're acting like an old person. I'm teasing when I do it to you but the underlying message is I think you're being too close minded or conservative with your line of thinking.



I've heard Tom say he was coddled and not prepared.

Plus, why are we using completely irrelevant comparisons.

We are talking about listing weights, not someone struggling with skin folds.

If Tom was listed at 95 how on earth does that tell me anything about his skin folds?

You were replying to Aza's post which mentioned Weight and Skin fold tests Tom had to pass. You seem to take offense at the idea weight wouldn't be published when there's a reason not to do so (mainly for the Women's comp, with the men getting treated equally). I've come around to supporting the change once I've learned why it's being done because it's best for the Women's comp and my point is it doesn't make any difference to the Men's game (I'm not making any grand statement about it being beneficial for the Men's mental health).




I'm not into fitness, so I'm not able to speak to the viability or not of skin folds as a measure. Again I'll reiterate the point I made about we need to prepare kids like that for the rigours of elite sports and what to expect better.

I'd say it was his peers that he was most worried about in terms of his body shame (if that's what it was) and they'd all know his weight anyway.

Maybe rather than focus on preparing kids for flawed and broken systems we can put a fraction of effort into fixing those systems. In this case instead of focusing on getting them ready to pass irrelevant tests around weight we can adopt better ways of testing for actual fitness, endurance, strength etc that doesn't require them to obsess over something unrelated to their performance in the game. Sure they need to be prepared to work hard and eat well and face scrutiny, but these things are not dependent on their weight necessarily. Look at Dane Swan. Always seemed overweight. Was just his body type. Worked as hard as anyone.





You're amazingly using a pejorative term against someone to support your argument about not using supposedly shameful measures! Legendary work.

Rofl



Love your posts keep up the good work.

I'm actually Tom Boyd BTW

[D Mitchell]

The only time I look up weights is when the new draftees start to see what muscle they need to add to get to a decent plauing weight.

Ues, some plauers plau beuond their heavuness.

[bornadog]

Ues, some plauers plau beuond their heavuness.

I fixed my typo, you need to fix yours ;)

[Grantysghost]

He did it anyway SMH. GG we're all Boomers to someone. If someone calls you a Boomer it's because you're acting like an old person. I'm teasing when I do it to you but the underlying message is I think you're being too close minded or conservative with your line of thinking.



You were replying to Aza's post which mentioned Weight and Skin fold tests Tom had to pass. You seem to take offense at the idea weight wouldn't be published when there's a reason not to do so (mainly for the Women's comp, with the men getting treated equally). I've come around to supporting the change once I've learned why it's being done because it's best for the Women's comp and my point is it doesn't make any difference to the Men's game (I'm not making any grand statement about it being beneficial for the Men's mental health).



Maybe rather than focus on preparing kids for flawed and broken systems we can put a fraction of effort into fixing those systems. In this case instead of focusing on getting them ready to pass irrelevant tests around weight we can adopt better ways of testing for actual fitness, endurance, strength etc that doesn't require them to obsess over something unrelated to their performance in the game. Sure they need to be prepared to work hard and eat well and face scrutiny, but these things are not dependent on their weight necessarily. Look at Dane Swan. Always seemed overweight. Was just his body type. Worked as hard as anyone.



Rofl



I'm actually Tom Boyd BTW

Love it.

I stand up in the crowd.. No.. I'm the boomer. A teenager next... No I'm the boomer.

Just be aware a lot of the time im driving the debate along by taking a side ;)

I'm don't give a crap about weights xD

[hujsh]

Love it.

I stand up in the crowd.. No.. I'm the boomer. A teenager next... No I'm the boomer.

Just be aware a lot of the time im driving the debate along by taking a side ;)

I'm don't give a crap about weights xD

I remember when I was like 23, a 19 year old at work said I was old cause he heard my age. It was then that I knew there was no point fighting the allegations. At 31 I'm the boomerest boomer to ever boomer

[EasternWest]

I remember when I was like 23, a 19 year old at work said I was old cause he heard my age. It was then that I knew there was no point fighting the allegations. At 31 I'm the boomerest boomer to ever boomer

Try being 47 when you're on the tipping point of "I'm a white male everyone listens to me" to "I'm a washed up has been and nobody will ever listen to me again".

[Grantysghost]

Try being 47 when you're on the tipping point of "I'm a white male everyone listens to me" to "I'm a washed up has been and nobody will ever listen to me again".

Ha that's so accurate.

I'm managing some 20 year olds, when they don't get your pop culture references by about a generation there's a big moment.

[jeemak]

None of it would be so horrific and alarming if you didn't feel as young as you always have in so many ways.......

[D Mitchell]

I fixed my typo, you need to fix yours ;)


Much more fun to leave it. I've discovered a new sport ;)

[Hotdog60]

I'm a boomer and we grew up without mobile phones and uber eats that's how we keep lean if you wanted to eat you had to go to your groceries not the other way around. :)

[Grantysghost]

I'm a boomer and we grew up without mobile phones and uber eats that's how we keep lean if you wanted to eat you had to go to your groceries not the other way around. :)

Such a boomer thing to say...

Ha ok this is fun.

I'm the worlds biggest nerd, like seriously, however I grew up with sport sport sport sport sport and the local kids played footy every night in the park opposite my house in the winter, and cricket in the summer. I was ashamed by my lack of weight not the opposite.
As I sit here navigating Link through the forests of Hyrule I ponder : "Where did it all go wrong?"

[Boots]

I have to say I think it's a really good idea. As a pretty 'heavy' guy, I think we need less focus on weight as a marker of anything useful about people's bodies. For that reason, ditching public reference to player weights is a good thing.

EDIT: Actually on second thoughts I'm not going to post my original anecdote, it will be perceived as too inflammatory in this thread I suspect.

[Grantysghost]

I have to say I think it's a really good idea. As a pretty 'heavy' guy, I think we need less focus on weight as a marker of anything useful about people's bodies. For that reason, ditching public reference to player weights is a good thing.

EDIT: Actually on second thoughts I'm not going to post my original anecdote, it will be perceived as too inflammatory in this thread I suspect.

It will eliminate any weight based prejudice.

Or it will make the AFL look good.

[azabob]

It will eliminate any weight based prejudice.

Or it will make the AFL look good.

Why do you want to know what a player weighs?

[Grantysghost]

Why do you want to know what a player weighs?

Why don't you?

[azabob]

Why don't you?

I asked first.

[Grantysghost]

I asked first.

Good point.

I couldn't give a fat rats toss bag about players weights.

It's the cancel culture I hate.

We probably should cancel height too.

Then Caleb will be protected.

Wow, Caleb is the same height as Justin Madden. I have no idea how to tell now there's no official stats.

Removing the weights actually gives WEIGHT to the insane notion that this is somehow a measure of your humanity.

[EasternWest]

Good point.

I couldn't give a fat rats toss bag about players weights.

It's the cancel culture I hate.

We probably should cancel height too.

Then Caleb will be protected.

Wow, Caleb is the same height as Justin Madden. I have no idea how to tell now there's no official stats.

Removing the weights actually gives WEIGHT to the insane notion that this is somehow a measure of your humanity.

Woop woop woop catchphrase alert

[Grantysghost]

Woop woop woop catchphrase alert

I'll cancel you, leftist commie hippy soap dodger (I've run out)

Hey btw I send you a DM with a clip. Respond or I'll be hurt.

[D Mitchell]

...I'm not going to post my original anecdote, it will be perceived as too inflammatory in this thread I suspect.

Aw, come on, you can't do that ! I won't be able to sleep tonight thinking what your anecdote might be. I have an early morning operation, delicate brain surgery, on a Marcus Bontempelli tomorrow, one slip of the scalpel and he'll have the mind of Toby Green. Spill it, the more inflammatory, the better.